The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1887-05-07
THE EAST COAST.
From Daytona to New >myrna-Panorsm
Seen from a Light House.
PALMETTO HOUSE.

on the morrow To tell you something oi
Daytona. You will perhaps think that
my to-morrows never come. but trust
| you will overlook the delay when tell
You that after spending a day in this
place found il tO be something 80 good
and rare that | determined il would
keep well and wait until all particulars
could be added. Then. too. happened
| on chance To combine business with
pleasure, and | thought Won would not
object Ia line or two about New
Smyrna and Ponce Park.
Getting aboard the fast and elegant
steamer Clara" which makes round
trips daily to New Smyrna and immedi-
ate landings We left here from the rail
road dock at $50 a. IN. and found our
selves plying the waters of the Halifax
in fine style and good time. The Hall
fax is about mile wide here: narrow
peninsula varying from a few hundred
yards To half or three quarters of a
mile in width separates its waters from
the Atlantic Ocean and has beach that
Is the pride and boast of all the inhabi-
tants of this region. Passing southwark
we leave Daytona on the right. On the
peninsula beautiful residences surround
ed by green lawns and splendid old live
oaks dot the landscape for many "A mile
The constant heating of the surf on the
beach is always heard. save when the
wind happens To be from the west, then
fI, IL LII n
waves cease.
VIEWS FROM \ LIGHT HOUSE.
Some four or five miles of travel brings
us to Port Orange. where lives number
of thrifty well-to-do orange growers.
Captain John Fozzard, one of the
pioneers. a practical man, lives there
and he has promised to give me some
items that | know will interest your
readers. but our boat did not stop there
and he will put them in shape for me
another time. About seven miles fur
ther We came To Ponce Park where the
Government is building new light
house. This lighthouse stands about "A
fourth of the way from the river Ia the
beach. towering nearly two hundred feet
above the sand and palmettoes and is
grand sentinel To warn the storm tossed
mariner off the dangerous coast and to
guide. in safety, when winds do not
blow and waves ne'er do roll. The walls
of this lighthouse tower are
said to be twelve feet thick
at the base and gradually decreasing as
it rises. 4 spiral wrought iron stair
leads the way inside To the top. and
when once you reach the dizzy height
you must be good climber not To pant
and blow like IA porpoise. When as
cended the wind seemed Ia blow gale.
though they told me il was only an ordi-
nary breeze. but il was sufficient at that
distance from mother earth to- make me
uneasy. The windows all along. as you
climb up. let in floods of both wind and
light. and afford good resting places and
peep holes to view the receding country.
but be sure to get good hun, cf the
stair rail. because if you should happen
to blow off of your footing it might
make yaur head ache at the stopping
place.
At THE TOP.
We will continue our journey. and
pretty soon almost among the clouds we
find ourselves on the little gallery Just
outside the lantern. hanging over the
awful depth below. But do not be
alarmed. The panorama spread out in
grandeur at your feet, is enough to make
one quite forget self, danger and every
thing save what the eye is now feasting
upon. To the north and west lies Day
tona. Holly Hill and Ormond, all i'm
beauty clad, for everything seen from
here seems "A picture. A little to the
south is Port Orange and Blake, then the
peninsular ON the east, and beyond that.
the ocean. At our feet nestles the little
village of Ponce Park, and at its side the
Halifax River. like band of silver.
quietly goes down To the inlet half
mile below. where it meets the Hills
boro River. and the two rush out into the
depths, mingling their opal floods with
the green waters of the ocean.
Mosquito Inlet is a channel from the
ocean. Of sufficient depth to admit good
sized boats and. with little help from
the Government, could be made naviga-
BILE To- vessels of deep draught. The
Halifax. am told. has sufficient water
To float large crafts and the HiIlsboro.
quite distance below New Smyrna. has
a good channel and plenty of water.
A. far a. the eye can reach We see the
shining beach and out on the ocean the
white caps follow each other in ceaseless
chase until nearer and nearer they come
10 spend their force in breakers and
spray on the sands of the shore. Just
across the inlet We see the old fish fac
tory where many shark and sea mon
ster was transferred into food for orange
trees and vegetables. and still further
down the HillsbOro is the pretty town Of
New Smyrna on the mainland side. This
Is the eastern terminus of the Orange
City and Atlantic Railroad. a branch of
the old Jacksonville, Tampa and Key
West Railway.
Still further you look and by close
scrutiny can catch a sight Of Windy
Castle and Turtle Mound. But you
must not forget that you are still
between sky and earth. with only a little
platform under your feet and your arms
resting on the rail and one hundred and
eighty feet of space to the ground below.
You can easily spend AN hour here and
then leave reluctantly. The houses of
the first. second and third keepers, at
the foot of the tower. though Of good
height and commo-iious seem like band
boxes. and the roofs appear to be resting